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Yaroslav the Wise - the prince who made Kievan Rus a great power
Yaroslav (baptized George) the Wise (born around 980 - died on February 20, 1054 in Vyshgorod) - Grand Duke of Kiev (from 1019), during whose reign Rus' reached its greatest prosperity. He was the son of Vladimir the Great and the Polotsk princess Rogneda. The nickname Wise was assigned to Yaroslav in official Russian historiography only in the second half of the 19th century; during his lifetime he was not called that. The period of Yaroslav's reign is considered the culmination of the greatness of Kyiv, which then became one of the largest cities in Europe and was called the “Mother of Russian Cities” in the chronicles. Prince Yaroslav ruled the largest country in Europe for 35 years, and never before or after him did the ancient Russian power have such power. During this time, the prince proved himself to be outstanding:
Stages of the reign of Yaroslav the Wise.
Rule in Novgorod and the struggle for Kyiv. Yaroslav had to fight for the Kyiv throne. First, his father put him in charge in Rostov, and then in Novgorod. In 1014, Yaroslav refused to pay tribute to Kyiv, which angered his father. This, by the way, was the first manifestation of separatism among the Rurikovichs. Only sudden death prevented Vladimir Svyatoslavovich from starting a campaign against Novgorod.
Immediately after the death of Vladimir, the Kiev throne was seized by the Turov prince Svyatopolk I the Accursed, half-brother of Yaroslav, who ordered the murder of his brothers: the Rostov prince Boris, the Murom prince Gleb and the Drevlyan prince Svyatoslav. Yaroslav Vladimirovich was warned in time about the danger by his sister Predslava.
Using the support of the Novgorodians, in December 1015 he defeated Svyatopolk in the battle of Lyubech and captured Kyiv. In this battle, he established himself as an excellent tactician, managing to attack suddenly and putting the Kyivans in an almost hopeless situation, pressing them to the river. But Svyatopolk did not resign himself: in 1018, together with his father-in-law, the Polish king Boleslav the Brave, he defeated Yaroslav in the Battle of the Bug and recaptured Kyiv.
Yaroslav the Wise fled to Novgorod, from where he intended to cross to Scandinavia and hide there forever. But the Novgorodians cut down the prince's boats and forced Yaroslav to continue the fight. They also raised money to hire a new squad in Scandinavia. In 1019, the final victory over Svyatopolk was won at the Battle of Alta. By that time, the accursed man had already lost the support of his Polish father-in-law, with whom he had imprudently quarreled, but he called on the Pechenegs for his protection, which, however, did not help him. Yaroslav Vladimirovich sat down in the capital city, but civil strife in Rus' did not end there.
In 1021, Yaroslav defeated another contender for the Kiev throne - his brother Bryachislav Izyaslavovich of Polotsk. In 1024, he had a new, much more formidable rival - Mstislav of Tmutarakan, who captured Chernigov. In the battle of Listvenny, Yaroslav was defeated, but despite this, the brothers managed to come to an agreement, dividing their father’s heritage among themselves. Dual power in Rus' persisted until the death of Mstislav in 1035, only after which Yaroslav became the sovereign ruler of Ancient Rus'.
The main merits of Yaroslav the Wise as the Prince of Kyiv.
Testament of Yaroslav the Wise.
Yaroslav died on February 20, 1054. Before his death, he bequeathed the Kiev throne to the Novgorod prince Izyaslav, and left other principalities as inheritance to his remaining sons, ordering everyone to live in peace.
1. Yaroslav was not a conqueror; war did not attract him. The reason for this was probably his lameness. According to one version, Yaroslav was injured during a fight with his brothers: an examination of the remains showed that his leg was severed. However, this did not stop him from being an excellent horseman and often leading his warriors into battle. The Vikings, who made up a significant part of Prince Yaroslav’s squad, by the way, considered him a natural Scandinavian, called him King Yaritsleiv and respected him very much.
2. Of all the sons of Vladimir the Great, only Mstislav (about 983-1036) was most similar to his warlike grandfather, the famous Svyatoslav Igorevich. He ruled in the distant Tmutarakan principality, constantly fighting with the neighboring tribes of the Yases and Kosogs (modern Circassians and Ossetians). The army loved Mstislav very much for his character, courage and simplicity. Mstislav shared all the hardships of the military campaign, as well as the joys of victory, equally with his warriors. There is a legend how, before one of the wars, Mstislav, in order to avoid bloodshed, went out to fight one on one against the leader of the Kosogs - the giant Rededi. The duel took place in front of the warring armies and Mstislav won. The Kosogi submitted to the formidable warrior prince without a fight.
In 1024, the paths of two brothers crossed – Mstislav of Tmutarakan and Yaroslav the Wise. The latter brought the Varangians from Novgorod and wanted, with their help, to finally establish himself in Kyiv. Mstislav stood at the head of a large army, consisting of Chernigov, northerners and Kosogov. Two squads met at night near Listvennaya under pouring rain and flashes of lightning. Mstislav's army completely defeated the mercenaries from the north, and Yaroslav himself fled to Novgorod. However, Mstislav sent a messenger to him with a call: “Sit down in your Kyiv. You are the elder brother, and let me have that side.” Only in 1025 did Yaroslav, at the head of a large army, come from Novgorod to Kyiv and make peace with his brother. Mstislav was given lands along the left bank of the Dnieper, and Yaroslav - the Right Bank. So the two of them ruled Russia, and, as the chronicler writes: “... there was great silence on Earth.” In 1035, Prince Mstislav died while hunting, and Yaroslav became the sole ruler of a great power.
3. Not only European monarchs considered it an honor to become related to the great prince of Kyiv, but also the Byzantine imperial court. Yaroslav actively intervened in international conflicts, defending the interests of his own state.
Yaroslav's wife is Ingegerda (baptized Irina), daughter of King Olaf Sjotkonung of Sweden. As a dowry, the princess brought “the lands of Ingigerda” (Ingermanland) with the city of Ladoga. Their children dispersed throughout Europe. Izyaslav married the daughter of the Polish king Casimir I Gertrude. Vsevolod - on the Byzantine princess Anna, from whose marriage Vladimir Monomakh was born. Vyacheslav and Igor married the German princesses Oda of Staden and Cunegonde of Orlaminda. The eldest daughter Elizabeth became the wife of the Norwegian king Harald the Bold, and after his death - the wife of the Danish king Sven Estidsen. Anastasia's husband was King Andrew of Hungary. The youngest daughter Anna married King Henry I of France. King Casimir I of Poland, whom Yaroslav the Wise supported in the fight for the throne, married his sister Maria (Dobronega). There is an opinion that Yaroslav the Wise had another daughter, Agatha, who became the wife of Edward the Exile, heir to the English throne, who fled to Rus' from the wrath of King Knut the Great.
4. Anna (Agnesa) Yaroslavna - the most famous daughter of the Grand Duke of Kyiv, went down in history as Anna of Russia, Queen of France. Being the youngest in the family, in 1049 she married the French king Henry I of Valois in Reims, who sought Yaroslav’s support in the fight against the German emperor. After the death of her husband in 1060, Anne became regent for her young son Philip I. This is a rare case when a woman ruled France. It is interesting that Queen Anne signed some letters in Cyrillic.
In 1062, Anna united her fate with the heir of Charlemagne, Count Valois de Crepy. This union was not flawless: not only was the count his political opponent during the life of Henry I, he was also already married. Anna remained with the count, despite the fact that the church declared their marriage illegal. Only after the death of her second husband did the queen reappear at court. This fact, however, was the reason that Anne was not buried in the royal tomb. Her grave is located in the abbey she founded in the town of Senlis. There, on the portal of the church of St. Vincent has a sculptural image of Anna Yaroslavna in all the splendor of her beauty. The Reims Gospel, brought from Kyiv, written in Cyrillic, on which all French kings swore allegiance until 1825, also became a memory of Anna.
5. As the author of “The Tale of Bygone Years” reports, Yaroslav the Wise “... gathered a lot of scribes, and they translated from Greek into Slovenian language and writing. And they wrote many books, and gained fame for this... Yaroslav had a love of books and he copied them a lot and collected them in the church of St. Sophia." At that time they wrote on parchment, which was made from the skins of calves or sheep. It took a whole herd to create one book. Morocco covers were decorated with gold, diamonds, emeralds and pearls.
Traces of the legendary library disappeared after the capture of Kyiv by the Mongol-Tatars. It may have been robbed, or hidden during the siege, which lasted ten weeks. In the underground corridors of the St. Sophia Cathedral, located at a depth of six meters, they found an inscription: “If anyone finds this passage, he will find Yaroslav’s great treasure.” However, there was not a single book there, and the inscription turned out to be a fake. One can only guess where the library is located. After the death of Yaroslav, Hilarion, deprived of his metropolitan rank, could take many church books with him to the Pechersky Monastery. It is no less likely that the library is hidden in the Zverinetsky caves not far from the Vydubetsky monastery, which was one of the centers of chronicle writing (and not all underground galleries have yet been explored). After the death of Yaroslav, the books could have ended up in the Mezhigorsky Monastery near Kiev, located not far from the princely residence.
Historical memory of Yaroslav the Wise.
Monuments to Yaroslav the Wise were erected in Kyiv, Kharkov, Bila Tserkva and Yaroslavl.
The image of the prince is imprinted on the Ukrainian banknote with a face value of two hryvnias and the Russian banknote with a face value of one thousand rubles.
In Ukraine there is a state award - the Order of Yaroslav the Wise.
The National Academy of Law in Kharkov is named after Yaroslav the Wise.
Novgorod State University is named after Yaroslav the Wise.
In 2008, Prince Yaroslav the Wise took first place in the television project “Great Ukrainians”.
The image of the Kyiv prince was repeatedly recreated in music, literature and cinema.
Yaroslav the Wise on social networks.
On Youtube for the query “Yaroslav the Wise” – 2020 search results.
How often do Yandex users from Ukraine look for information about Yaroslav the Wise?
To analyze the popularity of the query “Yaroslav the Wise,” the Yandex search engine service wordstat.yandex is used, from which we can conclude: as of June 11, 2016, the number of queries for the month was 68,183, as can be seen in the screenshot:
Since the end of 2014, the largest number of requests for “Yaroslav the Wise” was registered in February 2015 – 126,875 requests per month.
: you will learn interesting facts from the biography of the Grand Duke of Kyiv in this article.
Interesting facts about Yaroslav the Wise
Yaroslav the Wise was born in 980. This is the second son of Vladimir Krasnoe Solnyshko and the Polotsk princess Rogneda.
Historians believe that Yaroslav was not the eldest son of Grand Duke Vladimir. In addition, studies of the remains showed that Yaroslav the Wise was lame. And physical injury for that time was a serious obstacle to power, because it was not in the Varangian traditions to give control to someone who could not prove himself on the battlefield. But Yaroslav overcame his lameness, compensating for it with an iron will. He learned to ride in the saddle, which was not easy for him due to his illness, and he felt much more confident on a horse than on the ground.
Yaroslav came to power only after a long internecine struggle with his brothers, each of whom sat in his own city. The “strike force” of Yaroslav the Wise were Norman mercenaries and Varangian kings.
In Novgorod, Yaroslav especially for them founded a “courtyard for visitors” - a place of permanent residence for Scandinavian warriors. They lived there in luxury and wealth. Yaroslav was also involved with the Scandinavian nobility; one of his governors was the Norwegian king Edmund Ringsson, who is accused of murdering Buritslav, in whose image historians see the martyr Boris Vladimirovich.
Of all the blessings that Yaroslav the Wise brought to Rus', the most valuable acquisition is said to be his wife Ingigerda, the Swedish princess. The daughter of Olaf Skötkonung, Irina became a real blessing for the country; she played an important role both in the development of international relations and in religious issues, in particular, it was she who founded the first convent in Kyiv. It should be noted that the story of the marriage of the Grand Duke and Ingegerda turned out to be very delicate. The bride literally ran away from the wedding. By the time of Yaroslav's matchmaking, she was already engaged to the Norwegian king Olav Haraldson, later known as Olav the Saint - the first Christian king of Norway. He demanded it in exchange for signing a peace treaty with Sweden. However, when Olav and his entire retinue came to pick up the bride, it turned out that she had been married to Yaroslav several months ago. Olav Haraldsson was very angry, but did not take revenge for personal grievances. As a dowry, Ingigerda brought Yaroslav the lands around Ladoga.
Perhaps one of the main mysteries of Yaroslav is the whereabouts of his legendary library, which supposedly contains a rich collection of manuscripts and manuscripts that can shed light on dark spots in the history of Rus'. The only mention of it dates back to 1037 and is contained in the Tale of Bygone Years. Behind it, it is assumed that the precious collection was supposed to be in the St. Sophia Cathedral. It is believed that the books could have been stolen by Batu during the Tatar-Mongol invasion. There is another opinion that the lost library of Yaroslav became part of the no less legendary library of Ivan the Terrible.
Yaroslav the Wise founded the following cities: Yaroslavl on the Volga and Yaroslavl in modern Poland (named after him) and Yuryev (Gyurgev, named after his Patron Saint George the Victorious).
To consolidate power in the state and streamline the legal and social relations of citizens, a collection of laws, the so-called Yaroslav's truth, constitutes the oldest part of the laws of Russian law - Russian Pravda.
Under Yaroslav the Wise, Christianity spread and strengthened in Kievan Rus, and the organizational structure and church hierarchy took shape: 1039 the existence of the Kievan Metropolis, which was under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople, was documented. Yaroslav agreed on the church charter, which determined the rights of the church and clergy. In addition to the appointment of metropolitans to the Kyiv See, the Church of Kievan Rus enjoyed autonomy, including the fact that in 1051, on the initiative of Yaroslav, a council of local bishops elected the Rusyn Hilarion as Metropolitan of Kyiv. At this time, the first monasteries in Rus' were also founded: St. Yuri, St. Irene and the glorious Kiev-Pechersk 1051, which became important cultural centers in which chronicles were written and there were schools of icon painting.
Yaroslav the Wise (978 (979)? -1054) is a very prominent political figure in medieval Europe. The time of his reign was the “finest hour” of Kievan Rus, the period of its greatest prosperity. The prince is rightly praised for his deft foreign policy, for the final solution to the “Pechenezh issue,” the introduction of written law, large-scale construction and encouragement of cultural development. 
Naturally, this is only one side of the coin. Yaroslav was, albeit an outstanding, but still a medieval ruler. He is also credited with deeds that do not quite fit into the image of the “icon” created by his descendants. But they are also an integral component of the image of a person who lived according to the laws of his time and knew how to do this not without benefit.
Son of Gorislava
Yaroslav’s father is Vladimir the Great, everyone knows this. And the mother?
Before the adoption of Christianity, Vladimir had a large harem; the exact number of his wives at that time is unknown. But there is information about Yaroslav’s mother. This is the Polotsk princess Rogneda Rogvolodovna, who refused to marry Vladimir voluntarily because of his dubious origin (the son of a concubine, a slave!). Vladimir resolved the issue simply: he captured Polotsk, raped Rogneda in front of her parents, then killed them, and took the girl for himself. The terrible fate of this woman earned her the nickname Gorislava. Yaroslav is her third son.
No right to the throne
Already from what has been said above, it becomes clear that Yaroslav did not have rights to the Kiev throne according to any laws. He was not the eldest son. He was not the son of Vladimir's Christian wife, the Byzantine princess Anna. Vladimir did not declare him his successor.
Moreover, shortly before the death of Vladimir, Yaroslav, who ruled Novgorod at that time, showed himself to be a direct rebel, refusing to send the required amount of tribute to Kyiv. The father even began to prepare a punitive campaign against his disobedient son, but was prevented first by the invasion of the Pechenegs, and then by the death of the already very middle-aged prince. 
Detective with the first Russian saints
After the death of his father, Yaroslav continued the struggle for power with his brothers. This struggle gave Rus' its first two saints - Vladimir's sons Boris and Gleb. Tradition blames Yaroslav's elder brother, Svyatopolk, for their death, and calls him the Damned for this.
But Svyatopolk had no need to kill these particular brothers, because out of the whole family they were the only ones who unequivocally recognized him as a prince! The story of Gleb, thus, remains in the shadows, and the fate of Boris is somewhat clarified by the Norwegian saga about the adventures of King Eymund. This Varangian mercenary served Prince “Yaritsleiv” and delivered to his camp the head of Prince “Boritslav” killed by his soldiers. The names are quite eloquent. By the way, according to the saga, “Yaritsleiv” did not pay the Varangians for the murder!
Prince the Builder
But, despite these not very specious details, Yaroslav was undoubtedly a great ruler. Suffice it to say that only in Kyiv during his reign a new line of city fortifications with the Golden Gate, St. Sophia Cathedral, and Irininskaya Church appeared; construction was also carried out on the territory of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. 
Founder of Russian cities
In addition, Yaroslav was noted for the founding of new cities. He called them, according to tradition, by his own names: Yaroslav and George (his Christian name). The most famous of them are Yuryev (Tartu) and Yaroslavl-on-Volga (the pearl of the Golden Ring).
The coat of arms of Yaroslavl depicts a bear with an ax in its paws. Legend has it that young Yaroslav decided to hunt in the Volga forests and finally caught a bear, but it injured him. A city was founded on this site, and the prince remained lame for the rest of his life. The bear spear on the coat of arms turned into an ax (as the Yaroslavl residents themselves tell the legend).
Prince Librarian
The library of Yaroslav the Wise is a very enduring historical legend. There is evidence that the prince was indeed interested in books and owned interesting copies (if only because he gave the Gospel, now known as the Reims Gospel, as a dowry to his daughter). But those who imagine this library to be similar to a modern one - with tens of thousands of volumes - are wrong. There were probably two or three dozen of them, but even this was a huge gathering at that time.
You shouldn’t look for these books in the Kyiv dungeons - if they were there, they disappeared long ago, the conditions are unsuitable. Most likely, a significant part of the collection ended up in the Lavra and was gradually lost.
Europe's father-in-law
This nickname stuck with Yaroslav because he married three of his daughters to European kings, thus beginning the tradition of dynastic marriages. But with the same success the prince is Europe’s son-in-law, brother-in-law, and father-in-law. He was married to a Norwegian princess, married his sister to the Polish king, and recruited daughters-in-law from Austria, Poland and Germany.
Sculptural portrait
Finally, Yaroslav the Wise is the first of the Russian princes whose appearance is reliably known. He was buried in the St. Sophia Cathedral, and the tomb has been preserved. In 1938 it was opened, and in 1940 the famous anthropologist M. Gerasimov reconstructed the prince’s appearance from the skull. The hairstyle and beard were added based on a drawing from the wall of the same cathedral. Naturally, this is a portrait of the prince at the time of his death, and he lived for a very long time - 75 years old.
By the way, M. Gerasimov’s research confirmed Yaroslav’s lameness, but did not establish its cause.
Somehow the following facts, both historical and personal, attract little attention:
- Yaroslav was very tall for his time (1.75 m) and died with almost all his teeth (at 75 years old!).
- Kievan Rus under Yaroslav reached its maximum area.
- Yaroslav provided the state with the first Russian metropolitan, Hilarion.
- The nickname “Wise” was awarded to the prince by the “historian of the Russian state” Karamzin; there is nothing like that in the chronicles.
And few people pay attention to the fact that Yaroslav himself actually laid the foundation for the collapse of his empire. He officially divided its territory between his five sons. Immediately after his death, Rus' entered a period of feudal fragmentation.
[:RU]Exactly 960 years have passed since the death of Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise - the father, grandfather and uncle of many rulers of Europe. He went down in history as one of the most powerful rulers of Kievan Rus, the compiler of the first known code of laws in Rus'. What did he do for the country, and what can we learn from him?
In 1054, on the day of the Triumph of Orthodoxy (one of the Orthodox holidays celebrated in the first week of Lent), Grand Duke Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise died. The exact date of birth is not known; various chronicles indicate either 978, 988, or 998. Such discrepancies may be caused both by difficulties in reading the medieval Russian counting system, and by the desire of the chroniclers to show Yaroslav as older than the other brothers. Yaroslav was buried in St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. The six-ton marble sarcophagus of Yaroslav still stands in the Cathedral of St. Sofia. It was discovered in 1936, 1939 and 1964 and not always qualified research was carried out. Based on the results of the autopsy in January 1939, anthropologist Mikhail Gerasimov in 1940 created a sculptural portrait of the prince, which formed the basis for all subsequent images of the prince.
1. Yaroslav the Wise is canonized by the Orthodox Church. Officially, Yaroslav was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church only in 2004, although he was first mentioned as a saint in the work of Adam of Bremen “Acts of the High Priests of the Hamburg Church.” Also canonized were the father of Yaroslav the Wise - Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich (yes, yes, the same "Red Sun"), the brothers of Yaroslav the Wise - Saints Boris and Gleb, the son of Yaroslav the Wise - Vladimir Yaroslavovich, the grandchildren of Yaroslav - Vladimir Monomakh and Hugo the Great, Yaroslav's brother-in-law - Olaf the Saint.
2. Yaroslav strengthened diplomacy and foreign policy. One of the ways to strengthen diplomatic relations was dynastic marriages. Yaroslav the Wise had 10 children: 3 daughters and 7 sons. Elizabeth became the wife of the Norwegian king, Anastasia became the wife of the King of Hungary, Anna married the French king. Yaroslav's sons also married daughters from Austrian, Greek, Polish, and German royal families. Yaroslav himself was married twice, the second wife and mother of most of the children was the daughter of the Swedish king Olaf - Ingigerda (in Orthodoxy Irina).
3. Yaroslav the Wise was known as the founder of cities. He founded Yuryev (now Tartu in Estonia), Yuryev Russky (now Bila Tserkva in Ukraine), Novgorod-Seversky (now in the Chernigov region), Yaroslavl in the Carpathian region (now Yaroslav), and, of course, Yaroslavl, built on the Volga River .
4. Yaroslav was the hero of many literary works of that time, for example, “The Tale of Boris and Gleb”, “The Tale of Law and Grace”, he is also mentioned in many Scandinavian sagas under the name “Yarisleiva of King Holmgard”.
5. The Novgorod State and Kharkov Law Universities are named after Yaroslav the Wise, as well as the state award of Ukraine - the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise.
6. Under Yaroslav, the first Russian monasteries appeared, under him Kyiv became one of the largest cities in Europe, second only to Constantinople.
7. Under Yaroslav, active work was underway to translate foreign books into Church Slavonic and Old Russian languages. Years are spent rewriting books. A unique library of Yaroslav the Wise is being created, which disappeared without a trace, like the later library of Ivan the Terrible.
8. Yaroslav the Wise was actually one of the first unifiers of the Russian lands. He gathered under his rule almost all Russian lands from the south to the north.
9. Yaroslav was the first to separate secular and religious norms, thus separating the church from the state, making it more independent on the one hand, and defining and structuring its powers and sphere of responsibility, on the other. In this regard, the “Church Charter” of Yaroslav the Wise was published, which clearly delineated the powers of secular and religious authorities, various offenses against the Orthodox faith, and measures of responsibility for them.
10. Perhaps the main achievement of Yaroslav the Wise is the codification of Russian legislation. Created by Yaroslav the Wise, “Russian Truth” is the oldest collection of legal acts of Ancient Rus' that has come down to us. “Russian Truth” contains norms of criminal, inheritance, trade and procedural legislation, and is one of the most important sources on the history of legal, economic and social relations in Rus'.
The Great Prince of Kiev Yaroslav the Wise became famous for his many achievements. It is known that the people loved him for his kind and fair attitude towards people. He did not seek to conquer new lands, but managed to increase the level of education in his possessions and improve the well-being of the people. During the years of the prince's reign, more books were written than during the entire existence of Kievan Rus. And so that all this handwritten property could pass on to the heirs, it was necessary to find a reliable place for storage. This place became the library of Yaroslav the Wise.
In historical footsteps
The first and only mention of the book depository is given in the Tale of Bygone Years; it dates back to 1037. It says: “Yaroslav loved books, and he placed a lot of what he wrote in the Church of St. Sophia, which he created himself.”
Mikhail Lomonosov also studied this issue. He expressed the opinion that there were also scrolls from the Library of Alexandria in Kyiv. Lomonosov was sure that knowledge brought from India and East Asia was stored there, which Europeans still did not know.
How many books were there?
It is not known for certain how many handwritten texts were kept under the arches of the cathedral. Some historians believe that there were about 500 of them, others are sure that there were much more - about 1000. It is known that Yaroslav the Wise loved books very much and was a polyglot, he could read most European languages. All texts were first translated from Greek, Bulgarian, Latin, and then manually copied and bound. During the prince's lifetime, about 1000 copies were copied. And he began creating his invaluable library 17 years before his death.
It is worth noting that at the beginning of the 11th century, people did not yet know what paper was. Texts were written on parchments. They were made from the skin of young calves and sheep, which was thinned and dried in the sun. Parchment was an extremely expensive material because it took a very long time to make, and animals were killed in herds to create even one book. The covers of such manuscripts were real works of art. They used saffiano leather, which was decorated with precious metals and stones. Some pieces had diamond, emerald and pearl inserts.
Princely legacy
The first library of Yaroslav the Wise did not last long. Information about it was lost at the beginning of the 13th century, when the Tatar-Mongols attacked Rus' and burned Kyiv. According to most historians, it was during this period that the book depository died. At the same time, this could have happened earlier, for example, during the Polovtsian raids in 1169 and 1206.
There is a chance that some books were still saved. Largely thanks to the prince’s daughters. The youngest daughter of Yaroslav the Wise was betrothed to the French king Henry I. During her departure, she took some of the manuscript property. One of these books was the legendary Reims Gospel. It is assumed that for seven centuries in a row all the kings of France, including Louis XIV, swore their oath during the coronation on this manuscript from the library of Yaroslav the Wise.
The prince had two more daughters, who also became queens of other ruling dynasties of medieval Europe. Anastasia became the wife of King Andrew I of Hungary, Elizabeth became the wife of King Harold III of Norway. When leaving for a new place of residence, the princesses took some of the books with them as a dowry.
Nevertheless, most of the manuscripts remained in Kyiv. The library definitely existed until 1054, and then its traces are lost.
Where to find the library of Yaroslav the Wise?
Yaroslavl seems to some to be one of the most suitable places where the Grand Duke could leave his treasures. After all, this mighty city was founded by him and had strong, indestructible walls of the Kremlin. But in fact, it’s worth looking for a library in Kyiv.
Today, there are several versions of the possible existence of a secret storage facility. But none of them have been officially confirmed.
Version 1: St. Sophia Cathedral
The most logical place to look for a library is where it was founded. But in 1240, during the Tatar-Mongol invasion, St. Sophia Cathedral was completely destroyed. Ivan Mazepa began its restoration several centuries later. But no information is recorded in history that a secret storage facility was found underground.
In 1916, a collapse occurred under the cathedral. The workers carrying out the excavations found an ancient note in one of the walls that read: “Whoever finds this passage will find the great treasure of Yaroslav.” But further excavations soon ceased. As documents show, to prevent unauthorized treasure hunting.
In 2010, a group of researchers of secret places discovered a huge room underground (at the depth of a four-story building). The research was carried out using a device called a biolocator; its effectiveness has been tested more than once on other objects. Perhaps an unknown treasure is hidden deep underground in the Kyiv catacombs.
Version 2: Mezhyhirya
Children's libraries named after Yaroslav the Wise were opened during the Soviet Union throughout the vast country. But the party authorities were silent about the discovery of another book depository. We are talking about a secret treasure in Mezhyhirya.
It all started in 1934, when the country residence of the first secretary of the regional party committee of Kyiv Postyshev was built in this city. The territory of the former Mezhigorsky Monastery was chosen as the location for the work. While digging a pit, a basement was found completely filled with ancient books. Then the party leadership ordered to bury the basement and keep quiet about the find.
This was the case until the 80s of the last century, when one of the workers decided to reveal the secret. Around the same time, they began to rebuild the country residence for another statesman and again came across the ill-fated cave. But all attempts by historians and archaeologists to penetrate there were in vain. An urgent government project was ordered to be completed and the basement buried.
For the whole world, the mysterious basement, filled to the brim with parchments blackened by time, remained a mystery.
Personalized libraries of our time
The Central Children's Library named after Yaroslav the Wise exists in the city of Yaroslavl. But this is not the only book depository named after the Grand Duke. In Kharkov, at the Law University named after Yaroslav the Wise, there is also a structural unit of the same name.
Today, the scientific library of the National Law University named after Yaroslav the Wise is a modern youth center that constantly hosts conferences and research projects.
Central Children's Library of Yaroslav the Wise
This facility is located in the Dzerzhinsky district of Yaroslavl, that is, in the most densely populated area of the city. Address of the Central Children's Library: st. Trufanova, 17, kop. 2. The street is named in honor of the great commander of the Great Patriotic War - Nikolai Ivanovich Trufanov.
The children's library named after Yaroslav the Wise was founded in 1955. At that time the area was called Stalinsky and there was active development in it. New schools required the construction of a library. Then the administration of Yaroslavl made a gift to the youth: it opened a new modern book depository, containing a huge number of books.
Twenty years later, the city's library system was centralized, and the book depository became known as the Central Children's Library. She united 15 more establishments under her wing, thus becoming a single coordinator of children's leisure time.
Only in 2008, the Central Children's Library of Yaroslavl was named after the founder of the city - Yaroslav the Wise. Now her team holds various events, festivals, creative competitions, fairs, local history readings, cultural events, etc.
Modern library life
Every year, the Central Children's Library of Yaroslav the Wise organizes days dedicated to the Grand Duke. This time is used to study and preserve historical and cultural heritage in the modern world. On these days, historical performances are staged, military reconstructions of medieval battles are organized, including the capture of fortresses, conferences are held and, of course, a holiday is organized for the entire city.
The library is a temple of science. Young people come here to gain new knowledge, enrich themselves with the experience of their ancestors and become as wise as one of the greatest rulers of Kievan Rus.
